Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-16
Daily eagle
( AN INTERVIEW WITH DICKENS.

The Advice the Great Author Gave an
Ambitious Young Newspaper Reporter.
In a musty little dressing room just off
the stage of st. James hall, in Buffalo,
Charles Dickens gave an ambitious young
newspaper reporter his first lesson in in
terviewing. That was more than twenty
years ago and during Mr.: Dickens last
visit to this country. The great novelist
gave two public readings in Buffalo, and
on the day after his first reading in that
city he went to Niagara Falls with
party of friends. 1t was to obtain his
Impressions of the falls that the am
bilious young reporter sought Mr.. Dick
ems few minutes before the raising OF the
curtain on his second nights entertain
ment. As luck would have it the dis
tinguished author was alone in the dress
ing room. He was sitting at rude pine
table reading newspaper by the light OF
suffering candle.
"What is it, young mani" he SAID,
somewhat gruff1y, as soon as he became
aware of the reporters presence.
81 am a reporter for The Buffalo Ex-
press said the intruder, with forced
calmness.
eyes, yes, well, what is it," exclaimed
Mr.. Dickens, in a tone SO freezing that
the reporter shivered and instinctively
turned toward the door in expectation of
an admonition to sect outp'
s'Wcll, what do you wants. repeated
the great Boz.
"Wh-wh-what do you think Of Niagara
Falls?'' stammered the reporter.
s'None Of your - began the famous
novelist with rising asperity.
81 beg your pardon, excuse me; L
thought nervously interjected the re-
porter, as he edged toward the door.
ssWait Il moment Come herc!' Mr..
Dickens dameanor and tone had changed
completely. The reporter looked up in
surprise. The expression of annoyance In
the face Of the novelist had given way to
one of amused interest. $50 you were
sent to interview me, were your sad he
pleasantly. ''Wen, 1 hope you will ex-
cuse my candor in saying that your paper
could not have sent a person less likely to
succeed, ever if / were willing to be inter-
viewed, which L am not. My young
friend let me give you word OF advice.
When you want to interview man don't
act as if you were afraid OF him, and don't
throw net at him as though you were
seeking q fish in invisible depths. No
man whose opinions are worth publishing
will respond to a wholesale invitation to
nnbosom himself. Don't ask weak or
frivolous questionsl You must have an
Intelligent plan of campaign when you go
interviewing. First of all you must know
Just what you want to say and your
questions must be sufficiently incisive to
awaken the interest of the person to
whom they are addressed Once you get
q man interested in subject it viii re-
quire only a little ingenuity to keep him
talking. After what have seen to-day
cannot help feeling an interest in Niagara
Falls, but if you will excuse me for saying
so, you lack the ingenuity to'set me talk
ing on the subject. l wish you wei, how
ever. Good night"
Mr. Dickens impressions Of Niagara
Falls were not printed in any Buffalo
newspaper the next day, but his pithy re-
marks on the subject Of interviewing were
printed on the tablets of that young re-
porter's memory-in red ink, as it were.-
New York Times.